Lanphier's Patton trades in clubs for basketball in winter

Thursday

Dec 19, 2013 at 10:45 PM

CS8 Boys Golfer of the Year: Lanphier High School junior Nick Patton won't touch a club until March, but not because of the cold weather. He's on the basketball team at Lanphier and is using the winter months to take a break from golf, the sport he intends to play in college.

By Marcia MartinezStaff Writer

Nick Patton has put away his golf clubs for the winter.

The Lanphier High School junior won't touch a club until March, but not because of the cold weather. He's on the basketball team at Lanphier and is using the winter months to take a break from golf, the sport he intends to play in college.

"I'm just kind of putting them way and not thinking about it until golf season so I can stay fresh," he said.

It's a well-deserved break for Patton, who is The State Journal-Register Central State Eight Conference Boys Golfer of the Year for the second straight season.

*** See all the CS8 golf all-conference selections here ***

"The kid practices more than anybody I know," Lanphier coach Shelia O'Bryen said. "There's nothing you can tell him to do to improve because he already has the work ethic."

Big season

Patton is proof that hard work pays off. In his junior season he won the Class 2A sectional, had a runner-up finish in a regional, placed third at the Sangamon County Tournament, finished fifth at the City Tournament and tied for 26th at the state tournament.

It turned out to be a better end than start to the season. An equipment change just prior to the county tourney in late September is responsible for the turnaround.

"I started playing a lot better after that," he said. "In my irons I had regular shafts and regular shafts are more flexible. Then I got stiff shafts. They are more controllable and make the ball flight more consistent.

"I got the clubs that I have now probably three years ago, so my body is completely different. I just needed to change it up."

The results were immediate — and satisfying. In his very next event, he tied for second before finishing third in a scorecard playoff at the county tournament.

"It was a little risky because we didn't know if it was going to be worse," Patton said. "I had never used those types of shafts before, but the first time I hit them I said, 'Wow, these are so much easier to work with.'"

Quick turnaround

It showed in his scores. He shot a 75 at the Springfield Regional at Lincoln Greens, then played in a four-person playoff for medalist. He was one of the last two players in the playoff before tying for second place.

He followed up that performance by winning the Salem Sectional. Patton is the first Lanphier golfer to win a sectional. His 2-under-par 70 at Salem Country Club tied his career low in an 18-hole tournament round and gave him a two-stroke victory. That's after he scored a bogey on the first hole and hit a shot out of bounds on the next hole.

"Hands down that's the best I've seen him play ever," O'Bryen said. "To come back from a such a rough start . . . he could have been enough over par to put himself out of it after two holes. You had to really manage your game through a stretch of holes.

"Every piece of his game was on. I know Nick can hit great shots. I know his short game is great. If anything the mental toughness is what got him through the sectional because he has the golf shots."

Patton has tournament wins in all three of his high school seasons for Lanphier. As a freshman, he was the CS8 champion and Sangamon County Tournament medalist in addition to the City Tournament runner-up. His sophomore year he won the Springfield Regional and finished 20th at state.

"Winning sectionals helped out a ton," Patton said. "A couple colleges have started looking at me. That would make this year the best year."